"Why is there no respect for motherhood? Why does the West not value its women?" - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the capture of the British Seaman among whom one was a mother of a 3-year old daughter.
1. Do not love the world or the things of the world. The Biblical view does differ.
James 4:4,5 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us.”
If you crave approval of the world, you will not find God’s plan for being a biblical man or woman.2. Men and women are equal in value and dignity
Genesis 1:26, 27; “then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the earth, and over every creeping thing the creeps on the earth.’ And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.We were created to be like God and represent God. Only man and woman are in His image and we share that status equally. Where the equality is taken away in this context, there ends up to be abuses based upon the biblical truth being denied. We are equal in value before God and men are not superior and women are not inferior.
3. The model for equality and differences is found in the Triune Godhead
“Let Us make man in Our image….male and female He created them.”Equality in person but different in function. Authority is not given to One because of ability or gift, but the Father has authority because He is the Father. Authority and submission between the Triune God is fundamental to their relationship.
4. Equality and Differences are good
Genesis 1:31, “and God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”We seem to fear the differences. It is a wise plan for God to implement this plan for it honors both men and women.
5. Function for men and women is based upon the created order.
I Corinthians 11:7,8 “For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.” What hinders us following God’s plan is sin. Starting in Genesis 3 as part of the curse, we would struggle. Women would “desire” or be aggressive toward their husband and husbands would rule, in a ungodly way, over their wives. But Christ became a curse for us so that we would begin to restore the created order.
Colossians 3: 18, 19 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Do you see the contrast? Is your home representing the curse or is it representing the cross?
